Ahead of the Darkness (9 page)

“Um, thank you? You just need more practice.” I shrugged He’d been too busy watching what I was doing rather than concentrating himself.

“I’ll take ye up on that one time, but aye, ye’ve got the job if ye want it.” Did I want to work for someone so hot and cold?

“Okay, tomorrow?” Apparently I did.

“Aye, six?”

“Okay ...”

“Did ye need a lift home?”

“Ah, no. The answer is still the same.”

“Oh, right.”

“Good night, Drew.”

“Aye, night.” I’d turned to leave, but was stopped again. “Wait. Ye best take the club numbers. Ye know, in case.” He scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I frowned at the two numbers on the paper. “In case ye get yerself lost, or in trouble on the way home, like.”
Oh ...

“Okay.” I walked out of the club and shook my head. I wasn’t sure who was crazier. Drew and his changing moods, or me, for willingly agreeing to come back tomorrow.
Both, equally.

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M
y skin started to prickle with an odd sense of dread as I made my way to the stairs. I crept up them at an agonising pace, my heart hammering faster with each step I took, and every time they creaked I’d become more on edge. I’d never noticed they creaked before. It was then I realised I couldn't hear anything else; the house was completely still. That in itself was odd. Where was Oscar? He always greeted me at the door.

It's just because I'm early,
I told myself.
It's just ‘cause I'm early, and he’s curled up asleep on my bed.
I finally reached the top step and turned right, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans and slowly opened the door to my room. A shattering scream tore from my throat as I crumbled to the floor ...

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M
y eyes snapped open and I closed them again with a sigh, my pulse hammer in my ears. I slowly pulled myself out of the dream and checked the time. It was only 7:45, and I had hours to kill before my second shift.

My heart still raced as I dragged my lethargic body out of bed and into the steaming hot shower. I dressed casually and packed a gym bag. It was one of the few things I could find solace in, and it would kill a few hours. I wish I could sleep all day instead. I'd always wondered what that felt like.

I tiptoed to the kitchen in an effort not to wake Anne. I still hadn't really shopped, so I just stared aimlessly into the fridge at my almost-empty shelf. Half a packet of cheese and some celery sticks did not a breakfast make. Not a winning combination.

"I'm afraid, dear, that the longer you stare, the less appealing the inside becomes." I jumped about a foot.

"Oh gosh, Anne, you startled the living daylights out of me." I desperately tried to still my racing heart for the second time. At the rate I was going I’d likely die of a heart attack.

"Sorry, dear, you've been staring in there for a good few minutes."

"Oh. Sorry." I promptly closed the fridge.

“You might fancy doing some shopping, dear. Sadly food doesn’t just appear.”

“Yes, I got distracted yesterday.” And the day before. “Looks like I’m going out for breakfast.”

"Ah yes, there is a good little café near the gym, make great coffee, they do. Can't remember their name, though. Family-owned, friendly bunch."

"I'll give them a shot. Thanks. Have a nice day.”

“Yes, you too dear. Take note of the name, if you remember for me.” She yelled the last part as I walked out the door.

Something in Anne’s manner gave me pause. Did she want to come with me? Or, wished I would stay? I was never good at listening to problems, if that’s what she needed. I wasn’t even good at reading. It was a good thing I didn’t have any food. I didn’t want to sit around the breakfast bar making fake small-talk, or pretending to listen. I felt a little off about leaving, though. I shrugged it off.
I don’t feel, remember?

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T
he café, Maria’s, was right where I thought it would be, just opposite the club on the corner. It was a quaint little Italian café with a delicatessen too. My mouth salivated at the selection of antipasto, and I made a mental note to come back after the gym and buy a bag full of goodies. For now I just ordered a blueberry muffin with a huge latte, and settled myself at a little corner table.

“I thought ye said you ate? That muffin cannae be good fuel for the gym, like.”
Jesus!
Drew magically appeared in front of my table.

“Are you trying to make a habit out of scaring me? I didn’t see you come in.”

“Aye, that’s because I was three tables across from ye.”

“Oh. Wait. How do you know I’m going to the gym? And I do eat ..." I looked down to see I had been picking at the muffin rather than eating it.

“Ye have a duffel bag with ye. It was an educated guess. Do ye need someone to catch ye this time?” He made himself comfortable on the chair across from me.

"Not likely."

"Oh, aye, it was the shoelaces, the ones on ye runners, ye tripped on."

We looked down at my trainers, and I groaned internally at my lack of laces.
Busted
.

“Something like that. What are you doing up so early, anyway?”

“The same thing ye seem to be doing. What are ye doin’ up so early.”

“I didn’t have my alcohol-infused comma to keep me asleep, I guess.”

“Aye, I bet. Come on then, ye cannae sit here all day picking at that poor muffin.” He picked up both our bags and walked out of the shop.

“Hey!” I downed the last of my coffee and chased after Drew. I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, the bastard had my gym bag.

“Took ye long enough.” I found Drew waiting outside with both our gym bags in hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Ye cannae be trusted to go by yerself.”

“What? Drew ...”

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” He grabbed my hand and crossed the road. I would have been lying if I said I didn’t like the feeling of my hand in his. It felt warm and secure, but I pulled my hand free and crossed my arms. So childish of me, but I couldn’t help it. He was being hot and cold again.

“Ye have ten minutes to get ready. If ye not out and warming up with me, I’m coming in after ye.”

“Fine, I relent. Can I have my bag now?” I held my hand out and waited for him to put my bag in it. I was still waiting.

“For the love of God!” I took my bag out of his hand and marched across the road and through the doors. I took the stairs in a huff, secretly hoping I wouldn’t trip up them and land on my face. I heard Drew laughing behind me as he followed.

“Ye kinda cute when ye get frustrated.”

“Then I must be cute all the time when I’m around you.” My voice dripped with sarcasm, and I rolled my eyes. “I have never understood how someone can be cute or sexy when mad. It’s a rather unattractive emotion, all things considered.”

“It’s nae like ye head spins or ye spit fire.” He laughed, and I stopped at the top of the stairs, causing Drew to crash into me.

“You’re impossible. You know that right?”

“Aye, I’ve heard that a time or two.”

I sighed and walked through the gym doors, and waited to check in. The woman at the desk didn’t even lift her head when she started to slide the sign-in sheet towards me, until she spotted Drew.

“Morning Drew.” She actually batted her eyelashes, and slid the sign-in sheet to him instead. I looked at Drew with a raised eyebrow.

“We the only ones here again?”
We?
I finally got a look, but it wasn’t a pretty one. More a
who the hell are you
look. I refrained from smirking at her. Why that pleased me, I didn’t know.

“You are usually the only one who comes in this early on a Sunday. Most folk would be half-dead this time of morning. ” The scorn in her voice was enough to make me laugh.

“Yes that’s where I should be. You did have me up half the night after all,”
Did I just say that?
It wasn’t a lie as such, but the look on the girls face was complete disbelief. I could almost see her heart jump out of her chest and shatter on the floor. I internally sniggered at the cow. Drew eyes lit with mischief as he winked at me, his dimpled smirk making its first appearance.

“Aye, who kept who up? Get on with ye. Ye’ve got five minutes before I come in after ye. I’m going to work ye even harder.” He slapped my bum, and I yelped. The poor girl; she looked like I’d just crushed her dreams.
Oops.

~~~~~~

I
emerged from the change room to find Drew stretching on the mats. His impressive frame was exaggerated in a similar fitted tank top and shorts to what I’d seen him wearing the first time I met him. I could see all the muscle in his forearms as he stretched out his legs, and I wished I stretched before I came out. I felt exposed in my gym shorts and Lycra top. I hadn’t been thinking I would have an audience this early on a Sunday.

I stopped watching Drew and found my own spot, a safe distance from Drew on the mat, and began my warm up.

“I was beginning to think I would have to come and get ye. Ye took long enough.”

“I tied my laces extra tight this time.” I smiled at the stupidity of that statement, but Drew laughed heartily. The daggers directed my way grew in intensity and I just shook my head.

“That poor girl. Drew, you probably broke her heart.” I imitated the way she batted her eyelashes at him, and he rolled his eyes.

“How was that my fault? Ye started it, I just ... played along.”

“I didn’t lie, exactly. It’s not my fault if she misinterpreted what I said. Besides, it served her right for blowing me off the minute she caught sight of you.”

“Aye, jealousy makes people do daft things.” I frowned at his subtle implication.
Jealous, how absurd.
I got up and headed for the treadmills, leaving Drew chuckling quietly to himself.

“Hold up, what’s ye regular routine?”

“I don’t have one. I run or bike mostly, but if there is a punching bag I play around with that.”

“I dinnae pick ye for a sporadic trainer.”

“You would have been wrong. I, however, did pick you as the anally-inclined exerciser.” His apartment was too orderly. He frowned, but didn’t argue.

“Aye, we’ll do it yer way today.” I looked at him, confused. “Tomorrow, we do it my way.”

“Who says I’m coming tomorrow?” He smirked at me as we powered up our treadmills. “Damn it.” I’d left my music in the lockers, but I wondered if it would be rude to tune out Drew with headphones. It was why I came to the gym, after all. “There’s no music ...”

“Aye, it dinnae work yesterday, mind.” I pouted. “I’ll keep ye entertained.”
Well damn
.

I sighed and turned the machine up to a brisk jog, and hoped if I was running that he wouldn’t expect a conversation out of me. He matched pace easily, looking like he was out for a friendly stroll.

I kept glancing sideways at Drew. Neither one of us talked, but gradually increased our speed until I was at a run and Drew was at a brisk jog. After twenty minutes of this, Drew reached over to turn mine up faster. I tried futilely to swat his hand away, but the increasing pace was making it hard to do anything but move my feet.

“Drew, what are you, trying, to do? Kill me?” I huffed out between my increasingly ragged breaths.

“I want to see how fast ye can run. Ye legs look pretty powerful. Show me what ye got, Green.”
Damn it.
The bastard had me. I couldn’t turn down the challenge. He matched pace, finally running himself.
Did he say he liked my legs?

“That’s. Not. Fair. You. Have. Longer. Legs. Faster. Go faster. ”

“I thought ye’d never ask.” He winked, and laughed at his own sexual innuendo.

Concentrate, damn it!
I admonished myself. Falling on my face at this speed would not be ideal. I powered through ten minutes, fifteen, and twenty went by without incident, but by twenty-five minutes, I shook and my knees wobbled. Drew had barely broken a sweat.
Just a little longer ...

Twenty-six ...

Twenty-eight ...

Thirty-two ...

“Mia, let’s stop before ye fall.”

Thirty-four ...

“No. I’m. Fine.” I wasn’t. I couldn’t feel my legs, but I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t sure I could even stop.

Thirty-five ...

Drew was so fast I didn’t see it happen. One minute I was on the treadmill, the next, Drew had hit both our stop buttons simultaneously, jumped off his treadmill, and wrapped his arms around me before I fell off mine.

“Aye, time to stop. Ye were about to collapse.”

“Ta.” I couldn’t even say thank you.

“Sorry, love. I pushed ye a wee bit hard, but I said I’d catch ye.”

“S’okay,” I was a shaking, sweaty mess of jelly goo in his arms. He quietly laughed.

“Aye, ye did good but next time, stop before ye legs go out, would ye?” He reached up to my face and tucked a stray hair behind my ear. I stiffened, and his lingering thumb wiped the perspiration from my cheek. “Cannae have ye fallin’ on this purdy face, now, can we?” I blinked, a few times, stupefied.

“I ... I’m fine Drew. I’m just a little out of practice, is all.” I couldn’t get my heart’s rhythm under control. It stuttered and hammered uncontrollably the longer Drew kept stroking my face. I don’t think he even realised he was doing it. He seemed a little ... lost in thought.

“Do ... do they have a punching bag?” I managed to stammer out.

“Sorry?” Drew quickly removed his hand from my face, and retracted his arm from around my waist, making sure I was steady.

“Is there a punching bag here? I didn’t get a chance to look around all that much the other day.”
I was in such a hurry to leave ...

“Ye were in such a rush to leave. I’m nae surprised.”

“I...” Had nothing.

“There’s weights over in the far corner with a punching bag, but ye should call it a day. I’ll show ye the punching bag another time.”

He handed me his water bottle and playfully threw his towel at my face. I tried to hide my embarrassment with the towel. It smelt divine. Freshly washed, and with a subtle scent I had started to associate with Drew.